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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27965840">flowers of laughter</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mononosik/pseuds/mononosik'>mononosik</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>VICTON (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Business owner Seungsik, Flowers, Fluff, Hanse is sweet, M/M, Main characters Subin Seungsik &amp; Hanse, Minor Chan/Subin, Minor Seungwoo/Seungyoun, Others are secundary, POV: Subin, Seungsik is Subin's boss, Seungsik is like the sun, Tattoo Artist Hanse, Tattoos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:00:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27965840</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mononosik/pseuds/mononosik</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Seungsik says his boyfriend his taking him out to the movies, Subin isn't expecting to meet him. He isn't expecting him to be covered in tattoos and piercings either, but you know how the saying goes: "do not judge a book by its cover".</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Do Hanse/Kang Seungsik</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>VICFEST®—round two!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. many people fall and many tears overflow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Based on the prompt</p><p>#322: just classic florist/tattoo artist trope. when seungsik said that his boyfriend was coming pick him up, the new hire at the flower shop (whichever member you choose) was not expecting someone with a bunch of piercings and tattoos.</p><p>I immediately fell in love with the prompt and knew I had to grab it. I had plans for this, but Subin had other plans and took over completely, apparently. This is not exactly what I had envisioned, but I still hope there's enough Hanse/Seungsik there to satisfy the prompter and to add more to this "very much in need of some love" tag. I hope you enjoy.</p><p>Note that there are multiple chapters in this fic! The chapters are not even, length-wise, but I felt like the division will make the lecture easier (I hope so, at least).</p><p>Sorry if you find any errors, this is kind of a beast and I might have missed quite a few things through my proof-reading. I'll get them all eventually!</p><p>Thank you to the mods for this wonderful fest, and thanks to everyone for reading this!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s hot in the shop when Subin finally lifts the last of the crates onto the counter. To be fair, it’s always hot in the shop, since they have to keep the air at a certain humidity and at the perfect temperature to keep the plants from dying, but the physical exertion makes it even worse than usual. He’s wearing a simple, thin shirt (thankfully Seungsik isn’t really strict about work attire) but even that seems to be too much against his sweaty skin. </p>
<p>It’s been a long day, physically demanding, but he’s in a good mood. Productivity has always felt great to him. They’ve had a particularly big delivery today, and he’s spent most of his shift moving boxes and crates full of flowers from one place to another. The one he’s just left on the table is the last one, and he’s eager to get it done with. As much as he loves being busy, it also feels good to take a break. </p>
<p>He only has to take the remaining flowers to their spot. Thankfully the ones he has to take care of at the moment will all stay near the counter (or rather, he’s left the easiest for the end; no one won’t tell him he doesn’t think ahead). The geraniums look lovely, their vibrant pink standing up against the dull color of the wood pallets. </p>
<p>All around him, all kinds of plants paint a beautiful canvas, full of life and different stories. He fell in love with the place the moment he put a foot in it, and to this day it still fills him with happiness when he takes it all in. Even after such an exhausting day, he can’t regret the choice to work here. He’s never felt more satisfied with a part-time job. </p>
<p>He’s busy rearranging the last of the potted plants for the day – he has still a little over an hour left in his shift, but once he’s done with this task he’ll be mostly waiting for clients to show up – when Seungsik appears from the backstore. </p>
<p>He’s wearing his usual pale mint apron, with a sunny smile to go with it. There’s some dirt on his cheek, probably from when he was repotting plants in the back, but it just makes him look more charming. </p>
<p>“Do you need some help,” he asks, patting his hands on his lap to shake off some of the soil. </p>
<p>“It’s okay, I’m nearly done here,” Subin waves him off. “You’re done with the cacti?”</p>
<p>“Yes, those cuties really needed bigger pots. They’ll never grow strong if they’re too snug!”</p>
<p>Subin doesn’t say anything, only humming in response. Seungsik doesn’t really need his input about plants – he knows way more than Subin will probably ever do and he can rant on his own without needing anyone to spurr him. It’s an endearing trait of him, but Subin has been subjected to the same discourse more than once: even small plants need appropriately sized pots, some nurseries send them plants in too small pots, and that won’t do because every form of life deserves a decent space to live, and people need to care a little bit more about plants, and...  He can go on for hours, no matter how much Subin openly agrees with him.</p>
<p>It's one of the quirks he’s come to accept about his boss and he truly doesn’t mind, not when Seungsik is the best one he’s had so far. He treats him well, never asks him more than he would do himself, and he’s understanding. Seungsik is nice, too, and he’s taken him under his wing, teaching him as much as Subin is willing to learn. As a college student, Subin can’t ask for better. </p>
<p>This time, Seungsik doesn’t go on about unfitting plant pots. He’s probably just as tired as Subin, having worked on repotting the cacti all afternoon, without talking about his morning shift. Subin knows he works every day, and more often than not he covers both shifts. </p>
<p>He’s asked him once, why he works so many hours when he has employees who can help him, and Seungsik answered something along the lines of parents having a hard time separating from their children. Subin still wonders if the children in question are supposed to be all the plants he houses in his store – which he is more than happy to sell, but Subin doesn’t think too much about the implications – or about the store itself. In any case, he spends more hours here than Subin thinks is healthy, but then again Subin isn’t here the whole day to see how it really is. </p>
<p>He’s about done with the geraniums when Seungsik speaks again. </p>
<p>“Subin, can I ask for a favor?”</p>
<p>Subin turns to look at him, curious. He’s never asked him anything since he started working for him a few months ago – at least, not anything outside of his work-related duties. He’s apprehensive: his curiosity has been piqued but at the same time he’s pretty happy with how things are going here and he’s not pushing for a change. A favor can be many different things, and not all of them are good for employees. </p>
<p>“What is it,” he asks with caution. He won’t promise anything until he knows what it is about, even if he feels he can trust Seungsik. He’s worked too many part-time jobs since he started college not to be weary of that question.</p>
<p>“Would you mind closing the store alone tonight? I have to leave early.”</p>
<p>Subin relaxes immediately. It’s not that bad. He normally stays until the end of the day and helps Seungsik with closing, although he’s often let off a few minutes before Seungsik actually closes the door. He knows how to do it and it won’t make him work overtime. </p>
<p>“I know you know how to do it but I’ll explain everything to you if you need to, and we have a copy of the keys you can keep until tomorrow,” Seungsik adds in a rush, as if he’s afraid Subin will say no.</p>
<p>He doesn’t look nervous exactly, more so bracing himself for Subin to deny him the favor. Which is not necessary. Subin doesn’t mind, and it’s actually nice to know he’s trusted enough to be asked to close on his own. Although he’s learned a lot and built a good relationship with Seungsik in the past months, he still feels like the new kid around, sometimes. He’s proud to know Seungsik sees him as capable enough to take this responsibility.</p>
<p> “Yeah, of course,” he answers. “No problem.”</p>
<p>He’s rewarded with the happiest grin he’s seen in a long time. Seungsik’s mouth stretches full and open, revealing a gummy smile and round cheeks, and Subin knows he’s given the good answer. Not that he has any reason to say no, but it’s hard to regret a choice when he’s faced with a man who could replace the sun itself. </p>
<p>“Thank you! I’m sorry, I know it’s really last minute and I usually take care of it myself, but my boyfriend wants to take me on a date… Something about an old movie they’re only projecting tonight, I don’t really know the details. He seems excited about it though and I didn’t want to say no to him!”</p>
<p>Subin watches him ramble with something akin to fondness – which is strange, considering Seungsik is older than him by a few years – and doesn’t interrupt him. He tries not to let any of it show on his face but he is quite surprised. He didn’t know Seungsik had a significant other. </p>
<p>He doesn’t know that much about him, now that he thinks about it. He knows he’s friends with Chan – the nice neighbor he met a few months back when he moved in his new small studio, the one who actually got him this job –, that he likes plants and that he’s so bright that Subin sometimes suspects the sunflowers they keep in the store follow him around, instead of the sun. He doesn’t need to know him intimately to see he’s one of the kindest people he’s ever met, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone like him has a boyfriend. But he doesn’t talk about his personal life a lot and since the beginning Subin has the impression he spends most of his days in the shop, and he wonders how that works out with a relationship. It’s not his place to ask. </p>
<p>Something in him relaxes, though, hearing those words. It’s definitely comforting to know he won’t be judged by Seungsik when it comes to his own relationships. He can’t say the same for every job he’s had. </p>
<p>“It’s okay,” he finally cuts Seungsik off. The man doesn’t really have to justify himself. “You’re always the last one to leave, I think I can take care of it today! I’ve seen you do it lots of times, anyway.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Seungsik says with another one of his blinding smiles. “You won’t be alone for long, I’ll leave just a little before closing time.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine, really. I can do it.” </p>
<p>“I know you can. You’ve been doing great, Subinie, I’m glad you took the job. You’ve helped me a lot.”</p>
<p>Subin feels his face warm up under the praise. He doesn’t doubt his own abilities, but he’s never been good with compliments and he’s certainly not used to such open praises from a boss. Seungsik is always vocal when he does a good job, but it’s always nice to hear he’s appreciated. </p>
<p>All the geraniums are in their place by now but he checks they’re all where they’re supposed to be, with enough space between all the pots, in an attempt to keep busy and hide his face. He doesn’t know how to act, faced with this gratitude, and he feels self-conscious. </p>
<p>“I’m glad you gave me the job,” he finally mumbles under his breath. “I like working here.”</p>
<p>“I’m glad to hear that,” Seungsik says with a warm voice, and he sounds sincere. </p>
<p>He must sense that Subin feels shy, because he doesn’t let the moment linger for long.</p>
<p>“I’ll clean up in the back and get ready before he comes, then,” he claps his hands as he crosses the door towards the back of the store. “Call for me if you need anything.”</p>
<p>“Will do.”</p>
<p>With that, Subin finds himself alone again, cheeks still rosy and a smile fighting for appearance. He really likes Seungsik. Working for him gives him a sense of satisfaction he hasn’t found before, and he feels safe with him. He’s grateful he moved where he did and he’s lucky Chan is his neighbor – and actually came to his door to introduce himself. Subin is too much of an introvert to go out of his way to meet his neighbors, but Chan has no such problems, and within the span of a week Chan had adopted him. Subin doesn’t complain. It’s nice to have a friendly neighbor, one older and nice enough to help him out – and find him jobs. He’s definitely happy about the free meals when Chan feels lonely and orders too much food. Free food is always a bonus when you’re a student. </p>
<p>There’s not much to do, now that he’s done with the geraniums and doesn’t need an excuse to hide his face from Seungsik. He kills time by swiping the counter clean and going around the store, making sure all the plants have their needs covered. He didn’t know he would end up caring so much about them, when he first started, but there he is. He delicately trails his fingers through fragile petals, dips his fingers in soil to check if they’re watered enough, flattens some wrinkles from plastic wraps. All and all, he mostly walks around. The store looks fine. They keep it as clean as a flower shop can be, and every detail is laid out with care. There’s nothing to do, really, he just likes being surrounded by the different tones of green and all the other colors.</p>
<p>His mind is idle too – now that he’s done with the delivery, none of his tasks are very demanding. He starts thinking about Seungsik and his date for the night. Now that the surprise about him having a boyfriend has passed, he realizes it shouldn’t have come as such. Seungsik is handsome and above all, nice as one can get. Of course he would be taken. </p>
<p>Subin doesn’t want to speculate about things he doesn’t know about, but his curiosity gets the better of him and he lets his mind wander, trying to imagine how this boyfriend looks like. He doesn’t have much of a basis to go off. He doesn’t know Seungsik’s type. He only knows he likes all living things – plants are the ones he decided to dedicate himself to, but Subin knows first hand he can ramble about animals just as much – and he’s friends with Chan. He’s picked up on his personality, of course (which could be briefly summarized as in the one of an oversized puppy), but not enough about his life outside of work to get an idea of what kind of people he would date. </p>
<p>That doesn’t deter him from imagining the boyfriend in question, coming up with deduction after deduction. Subin comes up short when it comes to physical appearance. Maybe he’s taller than Seungsik (although Seungsik is fairly tall himself), maybe he’s shorter. Blond or brunette, fit or not, tall or short – he won’t know until he sees him. What he knows for sure, though, is that it must be a nice man, just like Seungsik himself. One who probably smiles just as much as him and wears nice clothes to go with Seungsik’s cute outfits. </p>
<p>He’s such a colorful, bright person. Subin was quick to realize he likes color in his clothes, but he doesn’t want to outshine the flowers (as he’s said himself). Every day, he wears something different: a baby blue button-up that makes him look quite the business-owner; a light pink sweater that always ends up covered in soil but somehow is pristin the next time he wears it; a mauve cardigan that makes him look soft as a rose petal. In any case, he looks like a pinterest pastel palette personified and Subin can only imagine someone as colorful as him by his side. Maybe with an edge – nobody is as nice as Seungsik. He can’t believe there are two people like him in the world. Still, when he pictures Seungsik’s boyfriend, he can imagine a wide smile and a warm personality to go with. Someone to match him.</p>
<p>His daydreaming soon pulls him in other directions, though. Imagining Seungsik’s boyfriend is fun and all, but even as curious as he is, that trail of thought quickly turns into a dead-end – there’s nothing much to guess, given how little he knows – so his mind naturally wanders to other problems. Such as what he’s going to eat for dinner. Maybe Chan will have too much food again, and he’ll be spared the need to cook for himself. Or maybe he can call Sejun and Byungchan to give him company over pizza. Thinking about his boss going on a date makes crave for company. He doesn’t feel like going back to an empty studio. </p>
<p>He’s back to the counter, sitting on the stool and facing the front door without really seeing it, thinking about his options. He can’t ask Chan upfront if he’ll have him for dinner – that’s a tad too direct for him, and he can’t invite himself over. But he’s afraid Sejun and Byungchan will both have other plans. Well, Byungchan might, social butterfly that he is, and Sejun is always a wild guess. It can’t hurt to ask them, anyway.</p>
<p>Just when he’s about to take his phone out, the front door opens, followed by the ring of the bell Seungsik insists on having. The jinggle jostles Subin out of his bubble, and he quickly shoves his phone back in his pocket.</p>
<p>He looks up to greet the newcomer, putting his best customer smile, the one that gets him free cookies in the coffee shop in his block and makes people buy in extra flowers for their bouquets. </p>
<p>“Welcome to <i>‘Flower’beez’</i>,” he says brightly.</p>
<p>When he sees who got in, he barely holds back a double take. The man in front of him is not like the usual clientele. The first thing he notices is black: from his hair, to the clothes and the shoes, and also the <i>tattoos</i>. Those are the second thing he sees, the amount of tattoos he has. With only a quick glance, Subin can see a few peeking out from his sleeves and his collar, and something tells him there’s more under the shirt. They’re black, as far as he can see. The light coming from the window falls directly on him and something in his face shines with the last rays of sun: on closer inspection, he can see a piercing on his lip and it just adds to the intimidating aura the guy gives off. It would be an exaggeration to say he’s scared, but he is definitely taken aback by his appearance. He’s different from the kind of customers they normally have, to say the least.</p>
<p>He doesn’t want to be rude and stare, so he forces himself to act as he always does, although he wonders if the man has mistaken the store for another place. It’s hard to miss they sell flowers, but maybe he was distracted – it sounds far-fetched, but Subin can’t say he hasn’t done worse himself.</p>
<p>“How can I help you today, sir,” he asks with his most pleasant voice. </p>
<p>The man seems surprised too, at first, but it doesn’t last long. He closes the distance to the counter in a few short steps, smiling with something akin to mischief. That rings a few alarms in Subin’s head, who looks around him as discreetly as he can in search of something to defend himself in case he needs to. </p>
<p>“We have many sorts of plants and flowers if that’s what you’re looking for,” he tries again, smiling nervously.</p>
<p>The man stops in front of him and puts his hands on the counter that separates them – Subin is grateful for that, at least.</p>
<p>“You’re Subin, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>Subin does a double take then, startled. How does this man know his name? He’s certain he’s never seen him before. Even if they had just crossed paths by coincidence, he’s hard to forget. He’s never met him at a party or in college, and definitely isn’t one of his teachers. He starts to worry – either this guy has confused him with another Subin (which doesn’t sound very believable) or he’s some creepy man who likes to follow people around. </p>
<p>“E-Excuse me?”</p>
<p>Slowly, he backs off from the counter, getting closer to the door that connects the front to the backstore, keeping his eyes on the strange man. If he tries anything, he can run and go to Seungsik for help. The guy is about Subin’s height. Between the two of them, they could take him down, if need came to be.</p>
<p>“You’re Subin, right,” the man repeats. “The new guy Seungsik has been talking about for weeks.”</p>
<p>Subin stops, eyeing the apparently-not-a-customer with wariness. Something in him relaxes at the mention of Seungsik, though – maybe he’s a friend or a regular, but if he knows his boss then he feels somehow better. He’s still suspicious: if he’s a crazy stalker, he could be saying this to lead him on. He won’t let his guard down.</p>
<p>“Yes, I’m Subin,” he replies finally. “Who are you?”</p>
<p>“I thought Seungsik had told you I was coming,” the man says, moreso for himself than for Subin. He hums, looking at him from head to toe. “You’re exactly as he describes you.”</p>
<p>That last part is said in a cheerful and somewhat surprised tone, as if he wasn’t expecting Seungsik to be right but is happy to be proven wrong. </p>
<p>Subin clears his throat, uncomfortable under the close examination. </p>
<p>“And you are…”, he trails off, expecting an answer this time. </p>
<p>“I’m Hanse.” </p>
<p>The name doesn’t ring any bell and Subin is definitely sure he’s never met him before and Seungsik hasn’t talked about him. Maybe he’s a frequent customer. He might usually come in the morning, which would explain why they’ve never met each other yet. </p>
<p>Before he can ask again if he needs anything, the man – Hanse – speaks again.</p>
<p>“Do you know if Seungsik is ready yet?”</p>
<p>Before Subin can answer (he doesn’t have time to ask ready for what exactly), Seungsik emerges from the back, fixing his collar. He’s out of his work clothes, and is now dressed in some nice black slacks and a soft-looking sweater. It’s light pink and it makes him look even more welcoming than he normally is. </p>
<p>“There you are,” Hanse says happily. </p>
<p>Seungsik looks up from where he’s meddling with his sweater and smiles when he realizes who is there. The smile is small, but there’s something about it that makes Subin pause. Maybe it’s the warmth that overtakes Seungsik’s eyes, or the way he seems to relax the moment he sees him.  </p>
<p>“Oh, you’re here.”</p>
<p>He makes his way around the counter, getting on the other side to stand by Hanse, who stands on his tiptoes to press a kiss on his cheek.</p>
<p>“Hmm…” he hums. “Flowers and puppy. My favorite scent.”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” Seungsik says. It lacks any force though, and his words are softened by the blush that immediately takes over his whole face. He quickly glances at Subin, as if to check if he’s seen it, and the later pretends he’s busy fiddling with the cashier. </p>
<p>Subin himself feels his cheeks heat up – partly because he feels like he’s intruding on something private but mostly because he feels stupid. There’s no mistaking who this man is: he’s the boyfriend he’s been speculating about for nearly half an hour. He should have known. Seungsik told him he was going out with him and, even though he didn’t mention Hanse was going to pick him up, he should have thought about it. He knows he was misled by Hanse’s looks and, for that, he feels embarrassed. He didn’t know what to expect Seungsik’s boyfriend to look like, but never in his wilder dreams would he have thought about a man with so many tattoos and piercings.</p>
<p>He can only hope his surprise wasn’t too evident on his face. He doesn’t want either of them to think he assumed anything – even if he did, kind of. He risks a look towards the couple: Seungsik seems to be checking something on his phone, while Hanse is looking at him with an amused expression. Subin squirms under his gaze, flustered. Somehow, he feels like Hanse knows exactly what is going on in his head.</p>
<p>Seungsik, bless him, puts him out of his misery.</p>
<p>“Ok, everything’s settled for tomorrow, I can go now,” he says, putting his phone away.</p>
<p>Hanse finally looks away from Subin – who lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding – and turns towards Seungsik. </p>
<p>“Let’s go then. We have to make it early so we can take good seats.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, we’ll get there with plenty of time,” Seungsik answers in an exasperated yet clearly fond voice. He rolls his eyes for good measure, although the smile he rewards Hanse with is nothing short of adoring. He faces Subin, who is trying his best to look like he wasn’t listening to their conversation. </p>
<p>“We’ll get going now, you know how to close for the night. There, here’s a copy of the keys”, he says, reaching over the counter to give him a single key. “Just make sure everything is inside and the back door is closed too. Leave the money in the safe, you know where it is, and leave the register open. And-”</p>
<p>“Seungsik,” Subin interrupts him before he goes too much on a tangent. “I know how to do it, I’ve seen you close the store enough times. Go and enjoy your movie.”</p>
<p>Seungsik closes his mouth and rubs his nape in embarrassment.</p>
<p>“Sorry, sorry. I know you can do it, but it’s your first time and I know how nerve-wrecking that can be.”</p>
<p>“It’s my first time closing here, but this is not my first job,” Subin reminds him, not unkindly.</p>
<p>“Right. You’re more than capable.”</p>
<p>Seungsik looks around him, as if he’s bracing himself, and claps his hands once.</p>
<p>“Okay, you got this, we’re going. If you need any help, call me.”</p>
<p>“Please don’t,” Hanse intervenes, reminding them both of his presence. His tone is joking, but Subin vows not to interrupt their night out. Not only does he want Seungsik to enjoy himself, he also doesn’t want to get on Hanse’s bad side. He’s honest enough with himself to admit he kind of is intimidated. A little bit. </p>
<p>“Hanse!” Seungsik reprimands him, indignant. </p>
<p>“Come on, you know I’m joking.”</p>
<p>“I do, but he doesn’t,” he huffs. He turns to Subin again. “Don’t listen to him. If you have any problem, give me a call.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” Subin insists. “Now go.”</p>
<p>“You’ve heard him,” Hanse says while he takes Seungsik’s hand to tug him towards the front door. “Now we go.”</p>
<p>Seungsik doesn’t try to resist, letting himself be dragged by his boyfriend.</p>
<p>“Ok, ok.”</p>
<p>He turns his head to talk to Subin one last time.</p>
<p>“I’ll see you tomorrow. Thank you again!”</p>
<p>“Have fun,” is all Subin says, waving a hand, but they’re both out the door before he can add anything else, led by a visibly impatient Hanse. </p>
<p>Through the storefront window, Subin watches them cross the road. When they get to the other side, Seungsiks stops and tugs Hanse’s hands to drop a quick kiss on his lips, cutting off his protests. Even from the distance, Subin can see the soft smile on both their faces, and he looks away, once again feeling like he’s intruding. It wasn’t meant for him to see. </p>
<p>He waits for a minute, arranging the few things he has on the counter even though they’re fine where they are. Once he feels like enough time has passed, he looks up again. They’re gone, probably on their way to their movie, but he feels unsettled. He's not sure if he's flustered about the display of affection – more than the display itself, the fact that it was his boss – or by his own assumptions. </p>
<p>He doesn't feel bad exactly, but definitely like he's received a reality check. He does feel kind of guilty that he assumed the worst of Hanse because of his looks: he was intimidated by some tattoos and black clothes, and with some retrospection he knows it was ridiculous. </p>
<p>There's not much he can do about it now, except swear he won’t let appearances lead him on, and try to put the whole incident behind him. It doesn't stop him from thinking about Hanse, more specifically Hanse and Seungsik together. They're definitely an odd couple, at least as far as looks go. But then again, he doesn't know Seungsik that much and he definitely doesn't know anything about Hanse, so he can't really judge. </p>
<p>It is funny, though. Hanse looks like the complete opposite of Seungsik, from the outside, with his dark look and his body art. Seungsik wears so much color, mostly soft and light tones; the contrast is striking. </p>
<p>While he goes about his last tasks of the day, mostly getting everything ready before closing, he thinks about it. They looked cute, if he's honest. He wasn't expecting to see Seungsik so shy and blushing. He's always so sure about everything at work, so reliable and firm in his directions, it was funny to see him blush under Hanse's words. </p>
<p>It’s nearing closing time, and he gets busy to make the time pass quicker. It's been a slow afternoon as far as business goes and he doesn't expect many customers to come until then. He goes around the store, swiping the floor and checking nothing is out of place – everything is where it should be, of course, because that's basically what he's been doing all afternoon – humming under his breath. </p>
<p>Outside, the sky is darkening, and by the time his shift is over comes he knows the sun will have disappeared already. Although it's not the first time he stays until closing, he usually walks part of the way home with Seungsik when he stays. This time he'll have to go alone. He's not scared, but he doesn’t feel like being alone, tonight. </p>
<p>He realizes he never texted Byungchan or Sejun, and he knows it's too late now: they'll definitely have plans and even if they don’t, they’ll be too lazy to come. He sighs, resigned. A lonely night awaits and he’s not looking forward to it. He usually doesn’t mind, but after seeing the loving couple, he feels somehow dissatisfied. He wouldn’t mind going to the movies with someone. </p>
<p>In all his daydreaming, he’s gone through his tasks quickly. There’s only a few minutes to go, and all the plants they normally display outside the shop are already inside, he’s made sure the back door is locked and nothing is out of place. There’s people outside, but none seem interested in buying flowers, and he doubts anyone will enter now. </p>
<p>He goes ahead and opens the cash register to count the balance of the afternoon shift. He starts with the dataphone and then counts the few bills there. The afternoon has been quite slow, more than usual, so it’s an easy task. </p>
<p>He’s about to put the money in an envelope for the safe when the bell and the sound of the front door opening interrupts him. He suppresses an exasperated sigh – who enters a store two minutes before closing time? – and puts his fakest and brightest smile for the customer who just put a damp on his plan to close on time. He secretly hopes whoever it is just takes a look and goes, even though he knows it’s better for business if they actually buy something. He just wishes people wouldn’t cut it so close.</p>
<p>“Welcome to <i>Flower’beez</i>,” he forces as pleasantly as he manages.</p>
<p>He looks up from the money he was counting, ready to attend the customer, as annoyed as he is, and he’s surprised to see Chan standing by the door. </p>
<p>“Hi!”</p>
<p>“Chan?” In his surprise, it comes out as a question. “What are you doing here?”</p>
<p>“Well, that’s not how you welcome customers, is it”, Chan jokes, coming closer to the counter.</p>
<p>Subin blushes, embarrassed. If Seungsik was here, he probably would have reprimanded him on his attitude. In his defense, he’s usually more polite with clients, but this is Chan. He’s his neighbor and his friend, kind of. He’s been fed by him often enough that he considers him more than a mere acquaintance, at least. </p>
<p>“Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “I was just surprised to see you here.”</p>
<p>“I’m just teasing you.”</p>
<p>Chan is smiling, proud of his own joke, and Subin has to look away. He tells himself it’s because he’s still flustered about being so rude towards a potential customer, but if he was honest with himself (which he isn’t) he’d admit Chan’s dimples may be the cause of his ears burning red. Which is weird, considering he’s seen them countless times. Maybe it’s because he wasn't expecting to see him here, at his place of work, completely unannounced. </p>
<p>“But why are you here,” he repeats, more calmly this time. “If you’re looking for Seungsik, he’s already gone.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he told me he has a date tonight and he left the store in your hands. That’s why I came.”</p>
<p>“Did he tell you to check on me,” he asks, tilting his head in confusion. He thought Seungsik trusted him enough to close on his own, but maybe he wants to make sure he doesn’t mess up. Subin is more than capable and he doesn’t think it’s necessary, but it’s not his business. If Seungsik is anxious, that’s his right.</p>
<p>“Not at all,” Chan says “I just thought you might be lonely, and I was in the neighborhood. You’re about to close, right?” </p>
<p>Subin looks at the time on the computer screen – indeed, it’s a minute past the official closing hour. Chan is definitely not a customer, so he has no reason to stay beyond his scheduled hours.</p>
<p>“Yes, I was closing when you came. I thought you were a customer and I kinda wanted to…,” he shuts up before he says what he was really thinking. </p>
<p>They may be friends (kind of) but he doesn’t know if Chan will welcome the honesty. His worries are unfounded, though. </p>
<p>“Strangle me?” Chan laughs it off.  “Yeah, I get that, people who get in a store just before closing are the worst. I wouldn’t do that.”</p>
<p>“Thank god, you’re not one of those,” Subin sighs in relief. “Thank you for coming then. The last half hour has been kinda lonely.”</p>
<p>“I figured. If you want to close now, we can walk home together.” He grants him another one of his dimpled smiles (Subin’s breath definitely doesn’t get stuck in his throat) but then something seems to cross his mind and he frowns. “Unless you already have  plans, of course.”</p>
<p>“No! No plans,” he rushes to say. “I forgot to ask my friends if they wanted to do something, I guess I’m alone for the night.” </p>
<p>“Great!” Chan’s smile comes back in full force, and he claps his hands once in resolution. “Then let’s get this old lady closed for the night and go home.”</p>
<p><i>Old lady?</i> Subin muses. He guesses he’s talking about the flower shop, but the building seems quite new. He figures it’s just his way of talking and, somehow, he finds it amusing. Probably one of his quirks.</p>
<p>“Let me just finish this and I’ll be ready.”</p>
<p>He quickly counts the money again, making sure everything is correct, then puts the bills and the receipts in the envelope. He goes to the backstore to drop it in the safe, put his apron away and pick up his jacket. </p>
<p>All in all, it barely takes a couple of minutes to get ready. He leaves everything as Seungsik instructed, taking the keys’ copy with him, and turns to Chan. </p>
<p>“I’m ready. Let’s go!”</p>
<p>Both of them go to the front door and get out. With Chan’s help, closing the door and down the security grill is an easy task, and soon enough they’re walking side by side towards their apartment complex. </p>
<p>“So, how was your day,” Chan asks, breaking the comfortable silence.</p>
<p>“It was fine. School was fine. Work was fine. Kind of slow, but then again it’s a Wednesday afternoon. Nothing much happens on Wednesdays.”</p>
<p>He has a certain dislike for Wednesdays, for no good reason at all. They’re just not the best day: they’re in the middle of the week, too far from the week-end. It doesn’t help that he has his most boring classes on Wednesdays. It also explains why he feels so bummed about not seeing his friends tonight: there’s nothing good waiting for him at the end of a mostly boring day.</p>
<p>It would have been nice to have them home, or go out with them, even for a quick dinner in town. They all have obligations in the morning, but nothing stops them from doing something fun and coming back home at a decent hour. They could have gone to the movies, for example, just like Seungsik and Hanse have done. He wonders if they’re having a good time. By now, the movie must have started a while ago, if they left in such a hurry. He wonders what they’re watching – Seungsik said it’s an old movie, but he didn’t say which one. </p>
<p>It’s been so long since Subin last went to the cinema; he barely has time between classes and work, and when he has, he feels too tired to go. It doesn’t help that neither Byungchan nor Sejun like the same movies he does: one loves historical dramas and the other is too jumpy even for most action movies. Maybe if he had someone who liked horror and action films, he would go more often. It must be nice to have someone to go to these things, he thinks. To talk about the plot once you’re out, to hold their hand if they’re afraid… He sighs. He’s been daydreaming the whole afternoon, and it’s not something he usually does. He’s normally a down-to-earth person and he doesn’t really fantasize about having a boyfriend or a significant other, but something about Hanse’s visit has awakened a part of him that is longing for that person. Having someone come to pick you up from work – that would be lovely. He looks at Chan, walking in silence next to him with a faint smile on his face, and he blushes. Yeah, he thinks. It is nice. </p>
<p>Chan must notice he’s being watched, because he asks, “What are you thinking about?” </p>
<p>Subin is startled, flustered to be caught, and he blabbers for a couple of seconds before he thinks of something better than “<i>I like to walk back home with you</i>” and “<i>Please pick me up from work every day</i>”. </p>
<p>“I met Hanse today,” is what he finally says because somehow, Hanse is at the root of his turmoil tonight. </p>
<p>“Ah, I see,” Chan answers with a knowing smile. The sparkle in his eyes tells Subin he probably imagines what he thought when he first saw Hanse. He doesn’t say anything, though, letting Subin lead the conversation.</p>
<p>“He’s not what I expected.”</p>
<p>“And what did you expect?”</p>
<p>Chan sounds genuinely curious, but Subin perceives a hint of amusement too. He’s probably enjoying putting him on the spot. </p>
<p>“I don’t know. It’s not like I’ve even been thinking about it, I didn’t even know Seungsik had a boyfriend before today,” he explains. “But I guess I imagined someone… I don’t know, more like him. A softie.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, I get that,” Chan laughs. “But you know, despite how he looks, Hanse can be even more of a softie than Seungsik, sometimes.” </p>
<p>“Oh,” is all Subin manages to say. It’s hard to believe that, considering Seungsik is the living embodiment of warm and cozy, but then again he doesn’t know Hanse. “He looks…”</p>
<p>“Like your typical ‘bad guy’?” He uses air quotes for good measure. </p>
<p>“I was gonna say intimidating. I can’t imagine Seungsik would date a bad person, regardless of how they look.” </p>
<p>“Oh, believe me, there’s nothing scary about Hanse,” Chan answers with a snort. “He’s a good guy, really. Good enough for Seungsik, and that says a lot.”</p>
<p>Subin notices his smile turns fond when he talks about Seungsik, and it makes him feel warm, in the same way watching airport reunion videos makes him feel. Chan obviously appreciates Seungsik a lot. He knew, of course, that Seungsik and Chan are friends: it’s the way he got his job in the first place. But he’s only seen them together once, when Chan introduced him to who was going to be his future boss. Beyond that, he doesn’t know much about their relationship, and he’s never asked about it to either of them. Tonight, curiosity gets the best of him.</p>
<p>“Have you known him for long?”</p>
<p>“Who? Hanse?”</p>
<p>“I meant Seungsik. Have you been friends for a long time?”</p>
<p>“Seungsik? Oh, yes, it’s gotta be…” he trails off, looking ahead of him with a pensive expression. “Gosh, I don’t know. At least 18 or something years. We were just kids when we met, we basically grew up together.”</p>
<p>“That’s such a long time,” Subin says with wonder. </p>
<p>He doesn’t have a friendship like that. Sure, he’s younger than them by a few years, but for Seungsik and Chan to have been friends for so long, they must have met when they were in primary or middle school at most. Subin doesn’t keep friends from that time. He still speaks with some of his high school friends, sometimes, but he mostly hangs out with the ones he’s made at college. He wonders if those friendships will last like theirs. He hopes Sejun and Byungchan will remain in his life for a long time, at least. Even if he’s only known them for a few years, they’ve become quite important in his life.</p>
<p>“Yeah, time is crazy,” Chan says. “For most of my life, Seungsik has been there.”</p>
<p>“It’s so cool that you’ve been friends for so long. You guys must really hit it off.”</p>
<p>“We bicker all the time,” he answers with a laugh. “But we’re there for each other, I guess. He’s my best friend. He’s the best person I know.” </p>
<p>Chan’s words turn heavy with an emotion Subin isn’t sure he gets, but he knows Chan truly believes what he’s saying. It’s humbling, somehow, to witness such an unwavering affection. The conversation has gotten more serious than he intended, but not in a bad way. It feels honest, but Subin is also not sure if he should prod more. He realizes he really doesn’t know either of them and there is a lot to learn, but he also thinks it’s something he would like to do. Seungsik feels like someone he could be friends with and rely on; and Chan… Chan feels special, too, in a different way. </p>
<p>“Anyway,” Chan dispels the heavy atmosphere with a cheeky smile and a shake of his head. “It’s not unusual for Hanse to drop by the shop. It’s strange you haven’t met him before, but I’m sure you’ll see more of him in the future.”</p>
<p>Subin takes the change in conversation for what it is and drops any lingering questions he has. He may not know Chan as much as he would like to, but he has learned he’s not the most comfortable person with intimacy – whenever Subin is over, he shies away from any conversation that gets too personal. He’s okay with that, he intends to crack him one day. </p>
<p>“I guess I will,” he simply says. “Maybe they’ll go on more dates, now that Seungsik knows I won’t burn the place down if I’m alone.”</p>
<p>“You would think that. He just doesn’t know when to rest. Hanse probably had to drag him out to watch that movie.”</p>
<p>“He did drag him out,” he agrees, laughing. “Seungsik was fussing about leaving me alone. I hope they made it in time.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure Hanse made sure they did,” Chan says. “Speaking of movies, do you want to come over for dinner? We could watch something, I have Netflix.” </p>
<p>“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Subin answers, although what he wants to say is ‘yes’. Accepting the offer means not spending the night alone, and it also serves the purpose of spending more time with Chan (the reason why that makes a fire burn in his stomach, he will ignore). </p>
<p>“You wouldn’t. I was thinking about ordering anyway.”</p>
<p>Subin still hesitates. Although he wants to go, he feels bad about taking advantage of Chan’s generosity. He can’t treat him to dinner in return most of the time, because at the end of the day he’s still a mostly broke college student. Which, to be honest, is also one of the reasons why Chan’s offer is so tempting: it’s hard to say no to free food.</p>
<p>“Please?” Chan puts on his best pitiful voice, pouting in his direction. “I don’t feel like being alone.”</p>
<p>The last bit of resistance crumbles under Chan’s cute technique, which Subin is unable to fight. He didn’t even want to fight him in the first place.</p>
<p>“Fine, you win, I’ll come,” he says with faux-exasperation. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“Great! There’s this movie I’ve been meaning to watch, I’m sure you’ll like it…”</p>
<p>Chan keeps blabbering about the movie, a horror film someone has recommended to him, and he goes on about all its supposed qualities. Subin lets him talk, listening with a smile. He finds his excitement endearing and even if he’s heard a completely different kind of review about that particular movie, he can’t wait to watch it, if only to see Chan’s reaction. </p>
<p>He suddenly feels great about the night, where before he felt bummed out. This Wednesday is turning out to be better than what he expected.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. because hard doesn't mean you're weak</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Subin quickly realizes that what Chan said about seeing Hanse more often is true. He wonders if Hanse stopped coming for a few months or if he always missed his shift in the time he’s been working, for them to have never met before; but after that night he’s seen him quite a few times. Sometimes Subin thinks Hanse purposely avoided the shop, because it’s like a dam has been broken.</p><p>Hanse stops by occasionally. Not daily, but often enough that his previous absence is suspicious. Seungsik starts mentioning him in passing sometimes, too. He doesn’t know if they thought he would be uncomfortable with it or if they were afraid of his reaction, but something has eased. </p><p>He gets to see a different part of Seungsik now, and he also gets to learn about Hanse bit by bit. It definitely changes the first impression he had of him.</p><p>One day, early on his afternoon shift, Hanse stops by with a coffee for Seungsik. It’s from the coffee shop around the corner – Subin passes by every day on his way to work, and he’s stopped a few times: the coffee is great and the baristas are nice.</p><p>Hanse enters the shop with the usual door jingle, a paper cup in hand. Once again, he’s wearing all black: from his t-shirt, to the jacket and pants and boots. He looks lively, though, despite the dark colors. When he sees Subin manning the front, he greets him with a smile. It’s a nice smile, but Subin can’t help but think there’s something mischievous about it. </p><p>“Hello there. Subin, right?”</p><p>“Y-yeah,” he stamers. He wants to curse himself – he knows who he’s talking to, there’s no reason to feel nervous. He knows it’s stupid to let Hanse’s appearance intimidate him, but he still feels unsettled around him. Maybe it’s because he still feels embarrassed about their first encounter. Just the thought of it makes his ears burn. </p><p>“Seungsikie in there?” Hanse asks, jerking his head in the direction of the backstore’s door. </p><p>“Yes, he’s looking for some supplies, he’ll get out in a second.”</p><p>Hanse hums in response, looking at him from head to toe. His whole demeanor is relaxed, and Subin can see he’s at ease in the shop and he doesn’t mind waiting there with a near stranger. Although Hanse probably knows more about him than he does about Hanse – he knew his name when he first saw him, after all. Most likely, Seungsik has been talking about him, at least enough for Hanse to recognize him. </p><p>While Hanse nonchalantly looks around, Subin feels awkward. He wonders if he should say something to break the ice, but he’s never been good at small talk, and something about the other man puts him on edge. Maybe it’s the way he carries himself, so laid-back and unperturbed. </p><p>Thankfully, the decision is taken away from him when Seungsik returns, a box of tapes and papers in his hands. This time he immediately spots Hanse, and his whole face lights up at the sight of his boyfriend.</p><p>“Hi babe,” he greets him.</p><p>“Hey. I brought you coffee.” </p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>Seungsik leaves the box on top of the counter and makes his way around to grab the offered cup and drop a peck on Hanse’s lips. Subin looks away, not wanting to intrude. He would very much like to leave and give them some privacy, but it would look awkward if he just goes away now. He pretends to read the sheet right under his eyes – a table of prices he’s seen countless times and knows practically by heart now. </p><p>From the corner of his eyes, he sees Seungsik take a sip of the coffee and sigh in contentment. </p><p>“Mmmh, hazelnut,” he says with a blissful smile.</p><p>“I know you’re all about Iced Americano but I thought today you could use something sweet,” Hanse explains. Subin wonders what he means by that, if there’s a reason Seungsik needs a pick-me-up, but he’s still pretending he’s not there, so he doesn’t say a word.</p><p>“I do. Thank you, babe.”</p><p>“It’s nothing. Someone has to take care of you, since you won’t do it yourself.”</p><p>“Oh, hush, you make it sound like I’m a kid who needs supervision or something. What will Subin think of me?”</p><p>Subin, suddenly put on the spot, looks up like a deer in headlights, eyes frantically going back and forth between Hanse and Seungsik. Right now he doesn’t think anything about Seungsik. Rather, he’s thinking he would prefer if they pretended he’s not here. Not because he doesn’t want to talk to them – he’s just awkward. And bad at these situations. </p><p>“Hum,” he sputters. “What?”</p><p>“Nevermind,” Seungsik laughs it off, although not unkindly. “Anyway, I have to get back to work, and I know you do too.”</p><p>The last part is directed at Hanse, who rolls his eyes good-naturally.</p><p>“I come bearing gifts and this is how you repay me! I see how it is.”</p><p>Despite his words, he’s clearly amused by the situation, rather than offended. He even catches Subin’s eyes and throws a wink at him to get him on the joke. Subin, for his part, is quickly relaxed by the friendly ribbing. He’s not so good at witnessing couples stuff, but he can do banter. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I’m an ungrateful boyfriend,” Seungsik says dramatically, turning around to rearrange whatever is in the box. “I also know for a fact you have a client in 20 minutes, so you better get going if you want to get everything ready on time.” </p><p>“Yes, mother,” Hanse replies with a voice dripping with honey while sticking his tongue to Seungsik’s back.</p><p>Subin fails to suppress a giggle. Seungsik tends to nag and even though he knows it comes from a good place and it’s usually good for him, Subin shares Hanse’s feelings. He would never say anything, not like this at least (he is his boss, after all), but he understands the teasing. </p><p>Except for a glare that lacks any kind of heat, Seungsik doesn’t answer. Subin suspects it’s not the first time Hanse teases him like this, and somehow that makes it funnier. He’s trying hard not to laugh, but the smile on his face is inevitable. Hanse, on the other hand, has no qualms about laughing out loud. He seems spurred by the audience, and the sound is infectious – Subin can’t help but join him. The situation isn’t that funny, really, but Hanse’s laugh is loud and joyous, a complete opposite of how dark he looks from the outside. </p><p>Seungsik ignores them and Subin has to give it to him: he doesn’t give away any sign that he’s bothered by their antics, or even listening to them.  Their laughs die down eventually, and Subin is left with a smile on his face and a new perspective. Hanse seems fun. </p><p>“Anyway, you’re right,” Hanse concedes in the end, after he’s calmed down. “I should get going. Can’t make them wait.”</p><p>Seungsik finally deigns to look at him. He leaves the box alone – Subin doubts he was doing anything useful with it in the first place, but he seemed very convincing in ignoring them, at least – and joins Hanse again, squeezing his arm. </p><p>“Have a good afternoon,” he tells him in a low voice (and this time, Subin knows for sure this isn’t meant for him and he quickly checks his phone for any notification to distract him). “I’ll see you at home.”</p><p>There’s silence for a couple of seconds but Subin doesn’t dare to look away from his screen, even if there’s nothing more than a meme Sejun sent in their group chat to grab his attention.</p><p>“I’ll make the ramyeon you like so much,” he hears Hanse say. Seungsik simply hums in response, apparently satisfied.</p><p>After another short silence, Subin hears someone take a few steps – probably Hanse. Sure enough, the man throws a “Bye Subinie, see you soon!” and he’s out of the door, before Subin can even react. He doesn’t even realize he’s called him Subinie until a minute later.</p><p>He’s left looking at the front door, blinking, wondering if that’s what people feel after witnessing a hurricane. Hanse hasn’t been particularly loud, but he sure feels like a force to be reckoned with. He blinks a few times before he turns to Seungsik, whose ears seem a little redder than they were before. </p><p>“Everything okay?” Seungsik asks him.</p><p>“Oh, I– Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. He’s just…”</p><p>“A lot?”</p><p>“Hard to figure, I guess,” he says, wishing he wasn’t having this conversation at all. </p><p>Seungsik smiles softly. “Yeah, I know he looks all dark and gloomy but he’s like a ball of energy sometimes.” </p><p>“He looks very nice,” Subin says awkwardly. He realizes it sounds like something one would say out of courtesy but it is actually the truth and he also doesn’t want his boss to think he hates his boyfriend or something. He’s just bad with people. It’s the reason he sticks to the same few friends. </p><p>“He is. I know he looks all… well like a bad boy,” Seungsik laughs at that. “Don’t let him fool you though. He’s probably gonna try to make you sweat a bit. Don’t believe him for a second. He’s a softie.”</p><p>“Chan said something of the sorts, yeah.”</p><p>“Chan?”</p><p>“Oh, hum…” Subin stammers. It was just a friendly neighbor picking him up from work, nothing more. No reason to get nervous. “He came by the night I closed. I guess it was on his way home. I mentioned I met Hanse, you know, talking about our days and all that.”</p><p>“I see.”</p><p>Subin can see Seungsik is gearing up for more questions, and that seems even worse of a conversation than the one they had before.</p><p>“So uh… What does Hanse do,” he asks, hoping to steer away from the whole ‘Chan’ topic.</p><p>Seungsik looks at him suspiciously but lets it slide, getting back to work while he answers.</p><p>“He’s a tattoo artist. He owns a parlor with a friend of ours, Seungwoo, a couple of blocks from here.”</p><p>Subin remembers the tattoos he saw the other night – and who knows what else the clothes were hiding – and it doesn’t surprise him. Not that anyone with lots of tattoos has to be a tattoo artist, but Hanse certainly fits the image one would expect.</p><p>“Oh, that’s cool,” he says. He doesn’t have any tattoo himself, although he’s been toying with the idea. He sometimes feels envious when he sees pictures or meets someone with beautiful tattoos, but there’s something that scares him about the idea. It might be the permanency of it. Or maybe he’s just scared it will hurt. In any case, they’re definitely something he likes, and his interest is piqued. </p><p>“Yeah, he’s really good at it too,” Seungsik says proudly. “He’s fairly popular in town. Seungwoo, too. They have different styles, so they get all sorts of clients.”</p><p>“What kind of tattoos does he do,” Subin asks with genuine curiosity. If he guessed, he’d say black work like the ones he wears on his skin, but he’s learned his lesson about assuming things.</p><p>Before Seungsik can answer, the front door opens with its usual jingle and a young woman lets herself in, spotting them the moment she gets inside. Instantly, Subin gets into seller mode and pulls his most charming smile out.</p><p>“Welcome to <i>‘Flower’beez’</i>,” he greets cheerfully. </p><p>All thoughts of tattoos are forgotten while he takes care of the client – who needs flowers for a friend who recently became a mom, apparently – while Seungsik goes back to do what he’s best at: organizing things in the back.</p><p> </p><p>It isn’t until a few days later than that afternoon comes back to mind. Subin is busy with classes and work as always, on top of trying to maintain whatever social life he can, so he doesn’t have time to think about Hanse nor his tattoos.</p><p>He’s not even fifteen minutes into his shift at the store, busy getting settled for the afternoon, when he hears the bell ring. He’s ready to welcome the customer when he looks up and sees Hanse, carrying coffee once again. This time, there’s two cups in his hands, though, and he’s doing his best to get through the door without spilling anything. </p><p>“Hello,” Subin says, this time around more confidently than before. Both Chan’s and Seungsik’s reassurances that Hanse is, in fact, not as intimidating as he looks are finally setting in. </p><p>“Hey,” Hanse replies while he makes his way to him to drop both cups on the counter. </p><p>Seungsik is in his small office, which is somewhere in the back, so Subin turns around and calls for him.</p><p>“Seungsik! Hanse is here!” There’s no one else in the store, so he doesn’t feel bad about shouting inside.</p><p>“Who says I’m here to see him?” Hanse teases him. “Maybe I’m just here to buy some flowers.”</p><p>Despite that, his eyes light up when Seungsik appears through the door, and his smirk softens down to a gentle smile when he greets him. </p><p>“Hey, Sikie. I brought coffee.” He pushes one of the cups in his direction.</p><p>“Hi,” Seungsik says softly. “Thank you.” He takes the offered coffee, letting his fingers graze Hanse’s hand.</p><p>Hanse winks at him, then gives the other coffee to Subin. </p><p>“This one’s for you.”</p><p>Out of instinct, Subin takes the cup, although he looks at it for a second before the words register. “For me?”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s what I said.”</p><p>He looks back and forth between Hanse and the coffee a few times before he realizes he’s probably being rude. </p><p>“Thank you,” he says, before he takes a timid sip. </p><p>He’s not a big coffee drinker, actually, but he’s surprised to find that Hanse has somehow gotten his order exactly right. </p><p>“How did you know to ask for chocolate syrup,” he can’t help but ask.</p><p>“Seungsik told me,” Hanse answers as if it’s not a big deal. Before Subin can say anything, he pushes himself from the counter and walks back to the front door. “Well, nice seeing you both. I gotta run, Seungwoo needs my help with the new program. Bye bye Subinie. See you at home, angel.”</p><p>With that, he’s gone. </p><p>The last part was obviously directed at Seungsik, but Subin can feel himself blush on his behalf. The pet name is cute but he’s not used to these kinds of displays. </p><p>Seungsik seems undisturbed, though. He’s smiling fondly at his coffee, no doubt thinking about his boyfriend, who calls him cute names and brings him treats at work every other day. It must be nice. Subin can definitely see the appeal, and if he’s honest it makes him crave this sort of relationship, someday in the future. </p><p>“He asked me about it, you know,” Seungsik tells him with a knowing smile on his face.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Your coffee order,” he specifies. “He asked me if I knew what kind of coffee you liked so he could buy it for you when he stops by. He said it would be, I quote, ‘not cool’ to buy coffee for me and leave you out. So I told him you like chocolate in your coffee.”</p><p>Once again, Subin is out of words. He hasn’t even had time to process the fact that Hanse got his order right and he definitely hadn’t thought Hanse specifically asked about his preference out of his own volition. He purposefully included him in his routine and Subin feels really touched about the thoughtful gesture. He doesn’t think he would have felt excluded without a coffee, but it feels really nice to know Hanse thought about him and went out of his way for him. </p><p>“That’s really nice of him,” he says. “I barely had time to thank him.”</p><p>“That’s fine, you don’t need to. He does it because he wants to. I told you he was a softie.”</p><p>“Still, I would like to thank him. He’s very thoughtful.”</p><p>“That, he is,” Seungsik agrees. “He always has nice little details like this.”</p><p>He looks so fond when he talks about Hanse, so proud, Subin is kind of enchanted by the soft look on his face. He doesn’t know what pushes him to ask what he does, though.</p><p>“You really love him, don’t you?”</p><p>Seungsik is taken aback by the question, but he’s not the only one – Subin himself doesn’t know where it comes from, not the guts to actually ask that. They’re friendly, but he’s talking to his boss. What is he even thinking about? It’s none of his business and it’s way too personal, as innocent as it is. He’s about to backtrack and apologize for overstepping, but Seungsik beats him to it.</p><p>“Of course,” he replies, as simple as that. There’s so much certainty and confidence in his words, like he’s saying ‘of course I do, <i>duh</i>, it’s obvious’. Subin is once again hit by how nice their relationship seems, and how much he wants something like this. Where loving your partner is the most obvious thing in the world, simple and straightforward. </p><p>He’s aware he doesn’t actually know much about their relationship and he might be oversimplifying things, but it does make him melancholic, somehow. Maybe he’s more of a romantic than he gives himself credit for. </p><p>“Please thank him for me once again,” he settles on, not wanting to delve on that train on thought.</p><p>“I will,” Seungsik says, and if he’s surprised by the sudden change he doesn’t show it. “although I guess you’ll be able to tell him yourself next time he comes by.”</p><p>“You’re right.” </p><p>They keep quiet after that, enjoying their coffee under the warm light that comes through the shop window. It’s a comfortable silence and Subin is happy to bask on it, savoring the light chocolate flavor in his drink with his eyes closed. It’s still the very beginning of his shift and he has a long afternoon ahead of him, but it’s not a daunting thought. He likes his job, and he likes the company. There’s also worse ways to start than with free coffee. </p><p>It’s going to be a good afternoon.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>o - o - o - o - o - o</p>
</div><p>In any case, Hanse keeps coming back, more often than not with coffee. Sometimes he has a lull between clients and he drops by to seek company from Seungsik, when his own business partner is too busy to pay attention to him.</p><p>When that happens, they either go to Seungsik’s office to talk or they go around the store, walking back and forth like they’re in their own bubble. When that happens, Subin can hear snippets of their conversations, although he always tries his hardest not to eavesdrop. It’s inevitable sometimes, though. </p><p>He hears them talking about cats and bees, but also about what goes on in the neighborhood business owner association they are both part of. He hears Seungsik teach Hanse about the new flowers they get in as the season progresses, while Hanse one day excitedly blabbers about a new ink they’re trying in their parlor, which apparently is wonderful. </p><p>Sometimes they both stay at the counter with Subin and include him in their little chats. The more times passes, the more it happens. Subin finally relaxes around Hanse – even though Hanse keeps him on edge with his razor tongue and his cheeky humor, he knows now that his dark appearance hides a bright and funny personality. </p><p>He also learns Hanse is more of a romantic than one would expect. Seungsik is affectionate, which is not surprising at all, although he's never over the top, always mindful to keep the boundaries at work. Hanse, on the other hand, is a total flirt. He likes to make Seungsik blush with cheesy lines, but it's also very clear that he means them. Subin is a mere observer but he's always entertained by their dynamics. </p><p>One day, for example, Hanse stops by the store when Seungsik is out in a meeting with some providers. Subin is well into his shift and it's past the usual coffee time, so he guesses Hanse is here because he wants company. If that's the case, though, he is going to be disappointed, because Seungsik isn't meant to come back for at least another hour. </p><p>"Hi, Hanse," he greets him nonetheless. "How are you? I'm afraid Seungsik isn't here." </p><p>"Hey Subinie. Yeah, I know, that's why I'm here." </p><p>Subin's attention is definitely piqued at that. Although he's been very nice to him and is always mindful to include him in their conversations, Hanse has never come to see him specifically. He's curious to see what he's planning. </p><p>" Oh?"</p><p>"I'm actually here to buy some flowers." </p><p>"Flowers?" </p><p>"Yes, flowers," Hanse scoffs. "You sell those here, right?" </p><p>"O–of course!" </p><p>Subin is too surprised to ask further questions and he spends the following thirty minutes helping Hanse pull a nice bouquet together. He's more knowledgeable about flowers than Subin imagined – then again, he should know not to put too much weight in his expectations about Hanse. He must have picked up a lot of the random information Seungsik shares on a daily basis, because he's very vocal about the flowers he wants or doesn't want. </p><p>In the end, between the two of them, they come up with a rather beautiful bouquet. All the while, Subin is wondering what the flowers are for but he doesn't dare to ask. Based on the flowers, which Hanse picked specifically, it seems to have romantic intentions rather than a 'feel better' kind of gift, but, again, Subin doesn't want to assume. It's inevitable though, because Hanse said he came when he knew Seungsik wouldn't be here and Subin has a vivid imagination, so he's coming up with all sorts of ridiculous stories in his head. The first thing that comes to mind is, of course, that he has a lover of some kind, because Subin has watched too many dramas lately (he blames it on Chan, who keeps luring him with free food and good company). But that idea is quickly out of the bag, because Hanse doesn't seem the kind of person who would do that, let alone be mean enough to buy flowers in his boyfriend's business for that. Maybe he's helping out a helpless friend. </p><p>Whatever the case is, Subin doesn't ask because it's none of his business, really, and he doesn't think he's close enough with Hanse yet to warrant further explanations from him. </p><p>When Hanse is satisfied with what he has, he pays and leaves, just like that, and Subin is left wondering. After that, though, there's a wave of clients that demand his full attention and before he knows it nearly an hour has passed and Seungsik is finally back. </p><p>The doubt comes back full force then, but he still doesn't know if it's his place to ask or even to make a passing comment about it. He's grateful he's busy so he doesn't have time to overthink it. He's convinced there was nothing bad behind Hanse buying flowers, but he still feels a sort of guilt gnawing at his stomach. </p><p>He works through the afternoon trying not to think about, because otherwise he knows he'll imagine all kinds of scenarios in his head. He knows that once he's out of work, though, it will bother him the whole night. Sometimes, he hates that his mind never rests. </p><p>In the end, he didn't need to worry. </p><p>It's finally the end of his shift and he's ready to go home. The afternoon has been unusually busy and he feels tired to the bones. The last half an hour has been dragging and he still has another one to go before he can pack his things and leave. </p><p>That's when Hanse comes back, crossing the front door with his usual swagger, bouquet in hand. </p><p>Seungsik is in the front with him this afternoon, helping him sort out the different postcards they sell, and he's the first one to spot Hanse. </p><p>"Hi," he says, confused. "What brings you here? It's late." </p><p>Hanse has a small smile on his face, far from his usual smirk, which makes him look like he's challenging the world around him almost. He doesn't look shy, exactly (Subin doubts he's capable of that), but definitely more subdued than usual. </p><p>He's bringing the flowers with him, Subin notices. He's holding them up with care in his hands, and he lifts them up while he gets closer to them. </p><p>"I bought you flowers," he says. </p><p>Both Seungsik and Subin stay quiet for a second – Seungsik probably surprised by the gesture, Subin because he’s busy cursing himself. The most obvious answer to the question he’s been asking himself all afternoon is presenting itself in front of his eyes and he didn’t think about it once. Why else would Hanse buy flowers behind Seungsik’s back? It’s <i>obvious</i> but somehow he missed the mark completely. It didn’t even cross his mind that flowers could be something that one would give to Seungsik. The reason being… Well, he can get them anytime he wants, really.</p><p>“Thank you,” Seungsik says finally, although it sounds more like a question. </p><p>“I know you have all the flowers you need here and all that,” Hanse explains, reading both their minds. “But it’s been years since I bought you flowers. And just because you’re a florist doesn’t mean you don’t deserve flowers.”</p><p>Subin can’t fault the logic. He thinks it’s really sweet, actually. Seungsik certainly seems to think so, too, because he’s smiling from ear to ear and his eyes are shining with something akin to adoration. </p><p>“Thank you,” he repeats, but this time his voice is full of emotion. “They’re lovely.”</p><p>“Subin helped me pick them.”</p><p>“You were on it, too?” Seungsik turns to him with a playful glare.</p><p>“I didn’t know they were for you,” Subin admits sheepishly. It sounds ridiculous when he says it outloud.</p><p>“Who did you think they were for?” Hanse asks.</p><p>“Uh… Honestly, I have no idea.”</p><p>Apparently he’s funnier than he gives himself credit for, because Hanse starts to laugh at that, a genuine and bright laugh that only subsides when Seungsik shushes him a couple of minutes later. Subin doesn’t know what’s so funny about his answer – he feels rather embarrassed himself, to say the least. But at least he knows no one is offended and it all ended rather well. Seungsik is happy with his flowers, in any case. </p><p>The subject is dropped after that. Hanse stays the rest of the shift with them, talking about the clients he had in the morning and the projects he has coming up and he’s excited about. He seems more animated than usual and his good mood is infectious. By the end of the shift, when the three of them finally get out of the store and close, they’re all smiling, sharing stories of their own. </p><p>They go their separate ways after bidding their farewells, Subin walking back home alone. He still feels bad about getting so worked up over what turned out to be a thoughtful and lovely gift, but he’s also glad he’s learning more about Hanse every day. He’s definitely sweeter than he looks. </p><p> </p><p>(He’s not the only one who comes looking for flowers, either. One day, a tall and handsome man – like, really tall and really handsome – enters the store looking like he’s not sure he’s where he’s supposed to be. He also looks nearly distressed when he looks at the counter and sees Subin there.</p><p>“You’re not Seungsik!” </p><p>He sounds nearly accusatory, like he’s offended that Seungsik isn’t there when he was expecting him to. At first Subin thinks it’s going to be another frustrating and complicated customer – he’s been really surprised to learn how many people have <i>opinions</i> about flowers – but in the end it turns out to be none other than Seungwoo, Hanse’s business partner. He’s there to buy flowers for his boyfriend and apparently Seungsik is the only one he trusts to choose them, mostly because he’s completely clueless about flowers himself .</p><p>“You’re sure he will like them?” He keeps repeating like an overbearing father checking on his kids every five minutes.</p><p>“No offense, Seungwoo,” Seugsik ends up saying, despite being the most patient man to ever grace the face of the Earth. “Seungyoun is a brilliant man, extremely talented. But he doesn’t know a thing about flowers. He will like whatever you buy for him.”</p><p>Seungwoo is reassured after that – as someone who knows Seungsik, he knows he wouldn’t lie to him – and leaves happily with a lovely bouquet after chatting with them for the better part of an hour. </p><p>Subin doesn’t see him again after that, although he keeps hearing about him from both Sungsik and Hanse. There’s something very funny to him, though, about the fact there’s a tattoo parlor somewhere run by two complete saps who like to buy flowers for their boyfriends. )</p><p> </p><p>The weeks pass by quickly, with how busy he is with both work and school. Before he even realizes it, it’s been months since he met Hanse for the first time. He’d like to think they’re closer now, considering how much time Hanse spends in the store when he doesn’t have clients himself. </p><p>When he thinks back, he wants to laugh at how intimidated he was by him at first. He remembers what Chan told him that first day, about how Hanse is softer than he looks, sometimes even more than Seungsik (which had sounded impossible at the time). But now he can say he’s witnessed first hand how true that is. </p><p>Like that one time Subin was rearranging the flowers displayed in the front for the new season and he spotted Hanse across the street with the usual coffees crouching down to pet a stray cat. Subin couldn’t hear, but it looked like Hanse was talking to it. The scene had been fun to see: a man clad in dark clothes, half of them ripped, tank top displaying his arm tattoos in all their splendor, making himself small and gentle to avoid scaring a little stray. Definitely as far as the scary image he had from him at the beginning as one could be. </p><p>He’s also really sweet with Seungsik sometimes, and with Subin himself, although he acts like it’s a secret they both have to keep. </p><p>(To Subin, that only makes it cuter. He won’t ever say that to his face, though.)</p><p>He’s glad he was wrong, that first day. For sure, Seungsik and Hanse clash as far as physical appearance and style go –  Hanse with his tattoos, and his eye-catching accessories, and Seungsik with his pastel sweaters and soft-looking jumpers. But Subin can see they match, and they fit together well. When he sees them together, he feels like they’re meant to be. He also feels like he’s learned a lot thanks to both of them – and for that, he is grateful for all the time he spends time with them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. say your love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Subin feels uncharacteristically nervous on the way to the party (“not a party, a gathering” Seungsik called it). On either side of him, Sejun and Byunchan are happily talking about the new rumour that is circulating these days around campus. Byungchan somehow always manages to learn the latest news and Sejun, surprisingly, loves to gossip. Subin usually likes to listen and butt in, but he’s not even listening to what they’re saying.</p><p>They’re going to Seungsik and Hanse’s home and he feels jittery. It’s the first time he’s been there, and it feels strange. It’s his <i>boss’</i> house, after all. Although he’s been feeling way more confident with him and his boyfriend over the last months, he can’t help but feel it’s a big step in their friendship. It’s one thing to talk and bond in a neutral environment like the flower store, it’s another thing to go where they live. It feels kind of personal. It is pretty personal. He didn’t even imagine he would be in this position, up until a week or so ago.</p><p>Hanse was in the shop at the beginning of his shift, as he’s usual, and they were talking about their plans for the week-end, when Seungsik casually mentioned they were inviting a few friends over to their house for lunch and to spend the afternoon, since the weather is getting hotter every day. Apparently, they live in a little house in the outskirts of town and they have a pool (“Nothing big”, Seungsik had said, “but it’s enough.”), which is why it’s where they usually meet with their friends when they gather all together. </p><p>“It’s kind of a pain in the ass, having to come here every day,” Hanse had said. “But at least Seungsik has a space to plant all the flowers he wants and rent is cheap.” </p><p>They don’t live in a big city, so Subin guesses it doesn’t cost a fortune to rent a small house if it’s not in the center of the town, but it’s still way more than he could afford right now as a student. He’s excited to see where they live and to get inside a pool, considering how hot it is outside. Even so, he’s nervous about it. He doesn’t want to mess up. He feels he should have brought something, a cake or a bottle of wine (even though he has no knowledge about the studd and neither do Sejun nor Byungchan), but Hanse insisted he shouldn’t. He’s taken his word up, but he feels weird showing up empty-handed and with two people in tow.</p><p>Seungsik was nice enough to extend the invitation to Sejun and Byungchan so he wouldn't be alone at the gathering, because he knows he has a hard time approaching new people and he wanted him to feel comfortable. Sometimes Subin thinks Seungsik is too good for this world. He’s certainly happy for the company now. </p><p>The bus ride passed in a blur (Chan, who is obviously invited, offered a ride but Subin wanted to go there with his friends), and they’re now fast approaching the house by the end of the street, as per Seungsik’s instructions. He can see a couple of cars parked outside and some undistinguishable chatter coming from that direction. The party (gathering) is at full swing, apparently. He hopes they’re not too late, although Seungsik told him to come by whenever he wanted during the morning, as long as he was there by midday. According to his watch, it’s still quarter to, so they should be on time. </p><p>When they make it to the right driveway, there’s a short stone path that leads to the front door bordered by lovely flowers of various colors. He can hear voices coming from the backyard, but he guesses the polite thing is still ringing before going around the house so he does just that.</p><p>They wait for a few seconds before steps approach from inside, and the door opens to reveal none other than Chan.</p><p>“Subinie! You’re finally here,” he nearly shouts with excitement. There’s a rosy tint to his cheeks and his eyes seem shinier than usual – Subin suspects that he’s been here for a while and that water hasn’t been all he’s drank. He nearly throws his arms around him, dragging him inside the house.</p><p>“Hello Chan,” he greets him, just as happily but with a tad less enthusiasm. “These are Byungchan and Sejun.”</p><p>“Oh, hello!” Chan  exclaims. “I’ve heard so much about you! Sejun is the tall one, and Byunchan the even taller one!”</p><p>He giggles at his own joke, looking back to see them, and Subin makes sure he doesn’t trip on his own feet in his own excitement to meet new people. Definitely more than water in his drink. </p><p>Chan is leading them through what appears to be a cozy living room when Seungsik intercepts them, coming from an open archway that seemingly connects to the kitchen. He’s carrying a platter full of vegetables in one hand and a water pitcher in the other.</p><p>“Oh, hey, you’re here!” He smiles happily when he sees them. “Welcome!”</p><p>“Hi! Seungsik, these are Sejun and Byungchan,” he introduces them. “Byung, Sejun, this is Seungsik, my boss.”</p><p>“Hello!” </p><p>“Nice to meet you!”</p><p>“Hi boys! It’s nice to meet you too, Subin talks about you often. Please, make yourself at home,” he tells them with a warm voice. “Also, I’m not your boss here. I’m your friend.”</p><p>Subin feels something small and happy unfurl at those words. Even though he never can forget Seungsik is in fact his boss, he also considers him like a friend nowadays. Hanse too. It’s nice to hear the sentiment is mutual. </p><p>“Anyway, I see Chan is taking good care of you, right?” Seungsik adds teasingly, sending a wink his way. Chan, for his part, is completely oblivious, happily chatting with Sejun about – god knows how the subject came to be in such a short time – squats. Subin doesn’t even want to know. He suppresses a blush, glad Chan is too distracted to pay attention, although it doesn’t escape Byunchan’s notice, which is dangerous. Byungchan latches onto these things like a hawk to his prey. Subin knows he’s up for a good grilling when they come back. </p><p>“Let’s go meet the others,” Seungsik lets him go without further teasing – bless his soul – and leads them all to the backyard through a glass door. </p><p>Outside, Subin can see a handful of people, all sitting around in little groups in plastic chairs. There’s some faces he recognizes, like Hanse (obviously) and Seungwoo, who he met that one time at the store, but most he doesn’t. He’s suddenly glad Seungsik let him invite two of his friends. </p><p>Hanse, who is talking to two handsome young men under the shade of the lone tree in the backyard, is the first one to notice them. He waves at them, inviting them to come, and Seungsik gently pushes him in his direction.</p><p>“Go greet Hanse, I’m gonna leave these on the table.”</p><p>The table is set up in one side of the backyard, next to a grill that looks about ready to be used. There’s some nice smoke coming out of it. Subin didn’t know they were having a barbecue, but he’s not complaining. </p><p>He does what Seungsik told him, though, and he leads his little party of four (Chan still attached to his arm), to where Hanse is sitting.</p><p>“Hi Hanse,” he says. “There are Sejun and Byungchan, my friends from school. Guys, this is Hanse, Seungsik’s boyfriend.”</p><p>“Hey Subinie, hey guys,” he greets them. “What’s up? These are Dongyeol and Wooseok, friends from… Well, I don’t even know. Guys, how do we even know each other?”</p><p>“I don’t remember the details of that unfortunate event,” the guy named Wooseok says with a roll of his eyes. “You’ve been a pain in the ass too long for me to remember.”</p><p>“I love you too, darling,” Hanse replies with a wink and a kiss to the air.</p><p>The three friends look at each other and laugh out loud, clearly used to these antics. Subin can only imagine they’ve known each other for a long time and feel very comfortable joking around. They seem like a fun bunch to have around.</p><p>“You come just in time,” Hanse says as if nothing had happened. “We’re all here now, I think we can start grilling the meat.”</p><p>“Meat?” Sejun jumps at the mention of food. Meat is a rare treat for them, anyway, so Subin kind of shares the excitement.</p><p>“Yeah, we bought some meat and veggies for the grill. You good with that?”</p><p>“More than! I can help with the grilling, if you want.”</p><p>“Why not,” Hanse shrugs. “I’m not in charge of the grill though, I leave that to Seungwoo.”</p><p>He points his finger at Seungwoo, who’s been talking to a few guys Subin doesn’t know the whole time. Seungsik has joined them now, too, so Subin doesn’t feel too awkward approaching them at least. He takes Sejun’s arm and leads him towards the little group, leaving Byungchan to chat with Wooseok. How can someone make friends so easily will always be a mystery to Subin.</p><p>“Do not let Seungsik near the grill!” Hanse shouts to their back. The backyard is decently sized, but it’s not big enough for Seungsik not to have heard him, and he shoots Hanse a playful glare.</p><p>“I heard you, you gremlin.”</p><p>“Love you babe!”</p><p>Seungsik sticks his tongue out, but he quickly loses his frown when Subin and Sejun get to them, smiling at them.</p><p>“Hey guys. Have you met everyone yet?”</p><p>“Not yet,” Subin says, turning towards the others. “I’m Subin. This is Sejun, and the guy over there with Hanse and the guys is Byungchan.”</p><p>“Nice to see you again,” Seungwoo says with a smile, then introduces himself for Sejun. “I’m Seungwoo. That’s my boyfriend, Seungyoun.”</p><p>He bows his head towards the man sitting next to Seungsik, with a really nice smile.</p><p>“Jaeyoung,” the man next to him says, with a surprisingly deep voice. </p><p>“Hey guys! I’m Hangyul!”</p><p>“Hangyul is actually your age, Subin,” Seungsik says, like he knows it will make him feel more at ease to know he’s not the youngest one here – which it does. Even his own friends are a couple of years older than him.</p><p>“Hanse said we could start grilling,” Sejun tells them all. “He said I could give you a hand, Seungwoo.”</p><p>“Perfect,” Seungwoo says, standing up. “Let’s get this going.”</p><p>They both go to the table to start working on the meat and vegetables, soon joined by Seungyoun who wanted to keep an eye on his boyfriend (“Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good cook, but he gets distracted easily so it’s better there’s some supervision there.”). Subin is left alone with Chan, who is still following him like a puppy, Seungsik and his friend Jaeyoung, who seems nice enough despite his scary voice. Subin expects to feel awkward at first, considering he’s in an unfamiliar space surrounded by people he either doesn’t know or he only ever sees in a different setting, but it all goes surprisingly smoothly.</p><p>Seungsik is as nice as ever, which helps him put him at ease, but really everyone here looks like good people. He gets to talk to Jaeyoung, who apparently met both Chan and Seungsik in college, and then the others approach, led by Byungchan, and the little party gets nice and lively. </p><p>There’s different conversations going all around the group, people getting up and sitting down, walking back and forth to the kitchen, some failed “sneaking food out the grill” operation… All in all, it’s a noisy affair, but Subin doesn’t feel overwhelmed. On the contrary, he feels like he’s right where he should be.</p><p>He thinks Seungsik and Hanse have a nice thing going on here, with friends collected over the years all around, a nice little house and an even nicer garden. All around them, they’re surrounded by beautiful greens and colorful flowers, all a product of Seungsik’s hard work, he’s sure. Subin sneaks a look at his host from time to time – they’ve ended up sitting next to each other, and although they’re having separate conversations, their hands are intertwined together in between their chairs. Subin finds it quite charming. They’re both visibly happy to be with their loved one – including each other. </p><p>Lunch, once the food is ready, is just as boisterous. The table is barely big enough to fit the twelve of them, and they have to squeeze themselves to sit around it, but they make it work. At some point Subin realizes he’s sitting far from both Sejun and Byungchan, who are both happy with their own new friends, but he’s having so much fun he doesn’t feel left out. </p><p>Seungsik is as attentive a host as he is in his work, which is not surprising, and he makes sure everybody has what they need. Hanse thanks him with a few stolen kisses here and there when he passes by him, and he and Seungwo entertain them all with stories from their clients and the weirdest tattoos they’ve ever done. </p><p>The food is good and the company is better, and soon enough they’ve all eaten to their fullest – even Sejun, who treats every opportunity to eat meat as if it’s the last one. Chan (who is calmed down by the food coma now), Wooseok and Subin go around the table to clear up some plates and make space for coffee and sweets Seungyoun has brought from his bakery – which is apparently what he does.</p><p>The atmosphere has slowed down, although it is not less lively for it. They’re all tired from the food and the heat, but none of them show a sign that they want to go home. </p><p>Subin is looking around him, half- listening to Hanse and Dongyeol discuss some singer they both like, when his eyes gloss over the pool, on the other side of the backyard. Seungsik didn’t lie when he said it wasn’t big – it isn’t. But it does seem to be enough. It fits the house, and space around it. It also looks very, very appealing right now. </p><p>“You want to get in?”</p><p>Subin startles at the voice just behind him. It’s Seungsik, coming back from the kitchen. Apparently he noticed him staring longingly at the water.</p><p>“It looks very refreshing, and it’s so hot right now…” he says.</p><p>“Go ahead. You brought swimwear, right?”</p><p>“Yes, like you told me.”</p><p>“So get in,” Seungsik tells him. “I’m sure the others will join you, too.”</p><p>Subin doesn’t need to be told twice. Maybe he would have hesitated in any other circumstances, but he feels comfortable here and he definitely feels like chilling in the water for a little bit. He fetches his bag where he left it and changes in the guest washroom where Seungsik poins him to. </p><p>He’s the first to get inside the pool, but as soon as he gets out in only his swimming shorts, he sees a few of the others look in towards him with interest before getting up themselves. Seungsik was right: it was only a matter of someone leading the way. He suspects they’ll all join him soon enough.</p><p>When he gets to the pool, he doesn’t think twice and jumps inside. It’s not very deep, but it’s enough for him to dive in smoothingly (as much as he’s capable of). The water is refreshing against his skin. It’s not cold, considering the pool is small and has been under the sun for the whole day, but it’s cool and it feels amazing after the heat. He swims around a few laps, ending up on his back watching the sky above him and letting himself float. He feels like he’s on holidays somewhere, instead of spending his Sunday afternoon at his boss’ home. It’s like he can forget about the stress of school and life for a little while. </p><p>The peace doesn’t last long, because suddenly he hears a loud <i>splash</i> and the water rocks around him. He sees Byungchan emerge from the water, shaking his head like a dog. </p><p>“This feels amazing,” he cries, a sentiment Subin shares, although in a quieter way. </p><p>“You’re like an overgrown puppy,” he tells him instead, splashing him with some water. “Throwing yourself in the water like that.”</p><p>“It’s funnier this way.”</p><p>They don’t have time to bicker, because Sejun and Hangyul are quick to join them, followed by Seungyoun. They don’t have space to really swim around, but they manage to find a ball somewhere and start playing some sort of water volley game – their made-up rules are lost on Subin, but he’s having fun and that’s all that matters. </p><p>Time passes quickly after that. He plays for a while then chills at the side of the pool, then talks to whoever is there, and so on. One by one, they all get into their swimming shorts and get inside the water, even if it’s for a short time. </p><p>He finally gets to see the extension of Hanse’s tattoos. As he suspected, he has more than what his shirts usually reveal. He’s actually impressed with the amount of art he has on his skin. It all looks very cool to Subin, who is nervous thinking about getting a tattoo, let alone as many as Hanse. He likes the siren on his forearm the most, and when he tells him it’s a beautiful piece, he learns Seungwoo actually made it for him.</p><p>Seungwoo himself doesn’t have as many tattoos, but the few he has look beautiful, as far as Subin can say. The flowers on his arms are really nice, and he wonders if he would get something like that, if he ever got a tattoo. He likes the colors, and the delicacy of it. Although the rough black lines of Hanse’s tattoos have their own appeal, too. </p><p>He’s floating around, musing about colors, and sirens, and black ink, and needles, when Seungsik finally comes by the pool. He’s the only one who hasn’t gotten in yet, because he’s been busy cleaning up in the kitchen. Everyone has pitched to help, but apparently he looks doing this his own way and it’s best to leave the last bit to him, according to Hanse. He must be done because he’s changed into different shorts and he has a satisfied look on his face – Subin knows that looks, it’s the one he gets when he’s done with a particularly big task at work. </p><p>“So, is the kitchen to your tastes, now?” Chan teases him from where he’s sitting at the pool’s edge, feet in the water.</p><p>“Very much so,” Seungsik replies unbothered. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”</p><p>He takes his shirt off with a swift movement and throws himself in the water as gracefully as Byungchan before him (meaning: not at all). A splash of color catches Subin’s attention, but he’s not sure he’s seeing well until Seungsik comes up again with a content sigh. </p><p>“Oh,” he says.</p><p>Apparently he’s not learned his lesson.</p><p>“Hm?” Seungsik tilts his head in confusion.</p><p>“Nothing, it’s just… I didn’t know you have a tattoo.”</p><p>On Seungsik’s ribs, bright and vibrant against his pale skin, rest an explosion of flowers. They seem to fall down from his side, cascading down to near his belly button. The tattoo is big, and colorful, and utterly unexpected. The possibility of Seungsik having a tattoo never even crossed his mind. And, well, he is kind of an expert at assuming incorrect things about people, apparently. </p><p>“It’s not like I show it at work,” Seungsik says. “It’s always hidden. It’s not a secret, though.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess, it’s just…” he trails off, feeling foolish.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I didn’t peg you as someone with tattoos, to be honest,” he admits sheepishly.</p><p>“That’s fine, you’re not the first one to be surprised,” Seungsik tells him with a reassuring smile. “I didn’t think I’d ever get one either, but then I met Hanse.”</p><p>“He did them?”</p><p>“Yes. He’s an expert at flowers.”</p><p>That’s another thing Subin didn’t expect. He remembers that time he learned about Hanse’s job – they never got to talk about it, so he never knew what style of tattoos he does. Now that he knows, he has to say he’s surprised – again. Seeing him all dressed up and covered in black, he would have never guessed he did such delicate and colorful artwork. </p><p>From his distance, Subin can see how detailed the flowers are, how intricate. It looks like if he reached and touched, he would feel the velvety texture of their petals instead of skin. There’s a variety of flowers, put together like an unorganized but beautiful bouquet. He sees a few morning glories of different colors, a daisy, a sunflower… It shouldn’t work all together, but it does somehow. Subin wonders how many hours he spent under the needle for that one.</p><p>“They’re beautiful.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Hanse says from where he’s sitting on a chair next to Dongyeol. “I’d like to think it’s one of my best works. Definitely put the most love into it.” </p><p>“Ugh, you’re such a sap,” Hangyul cries out, faking like he’s throwing up.</p><p>Somehow, they’re all gathered around the swimming pool by now, and they all laugh and join the sentiment. Subin wouldn’t say Seungsik and Hanse are too over the top, but they’re sweet with each other for sure. He hasn’t spent that much time with them outside of work, though. The others seem to like teasing them about it, and they may have seen things he hasn’t yet. He’d like to see if they’re as bad as they make them out to be – he’d like to spend more time with them, with all of them. </p><p>All around him, the noise starts to pick up again. Apparently, Hanse’s innocent comment has sparked a debate about who is the grossest couple: Hanse and Seungsik or Seungwoo and Seungyoun. The four people involved seem rather amused by the situation, but also like it’s not their first time hearing this. It’s all in good fun though. Subin can tell their friends are happy about them, even while they exaggerate how sappy and whipped the couples are for each other. Subin throws a couple of stories himself, from what he’s witnessed during their coffee breaks or any other time Hanse has been around the store. He realizes how much time he’s spent with the two of them, because he doesn’t run short of cute anecdotes the others are very keen to hear about. </p><p>Subin feels great. When he looks around, all he sees is friends, all and new, who are having fun. He feels included, like he belongs. He thinks he does. He has ended up sitting next to Chan, who gently bumps into him every time he moves around – the heat from his skin is warming him up more than the summer sun could ever do. Sejun and Byungchan are there with him, and they’re having the time of their lives. He’s happy he’s part of that. And across from him, once again together side by side, leaning against each other in their own little world, are Seungsik and Hanse, watching everything unfold under their eyes. Subin wonders if he’ll ever have what they have. A lovely home where he can gather all his friends and provide a safe and comfortable space for them. And mostly, someone who he can lean on, who makes him as happy as they make each other. He doesn’t know if he’ll get there, but he knows there’s no rush. For now, he’s just grateful he’s met them, both of them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is it!</p><p>Thanks for sticking til here, I hope you enjoyed this. <br/>I appreciate every comment and kudo, so don't be shy: I don't bite ;)</p>
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